Philadelphia will host 2026 men’s World Cup games, bringing a global sports spectacle to America’s birthplace

NEW YORK — Just after 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Philadelphia’s place in the sports world changed forever. After many years of waiting, the city for the first time officially became a host of a men’s soccer World Cup, the planet’s biggest and most famous sports event. In 2026, Philadelphia will be among a group of co-hosts of a sporting spectacle: 48 national teams combining to play 80 games across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The other 15 host cities will be Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco (Santa Clara, really), and Seattle in the U...